Warzone/The Drive: Here's How An EC-135 Crew Pulled Off One Of The Most Jaw-Dropping Air Show Takeoffs Ever
With the Cold War ending, one EC-135 airborne command post crew carefully planned to go out on top at their home air show.
For years the RAF Mildenhall Air Fête was one of the highlights of the British air show season. Its reputation for bringing unusual, exotic, and far-flung visitors made it a “must-see” event for guests and flight crews alike. The Air Force's EC-135H SILK PURSE definitely fit the bill of unique aircraft participants.
The 10th Airborne Command and Control Squadron (ACCS), based at RAF Mildenhall from 1970 to 1991, operated five Boeing EC-135H SILK PURSE airborne command posts in support of the U.S. Commander-in-Chief, Europe (USCINCEUR), the head of U.S. European Command. These would launch in time of crisis to provide an aerial backup to ground-based command centers, and operated much like the BLUE EAGLE EC-135Js for the Pacific, the SCOPE LIGHT EC-135Ps for the Atlantic, and the EC-135Cs (including the vaunted LOOKING GLASS for Strategic Air Command) in the continental US.
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WNU Editor: That is one steep takeoff.
